You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
